Pulse and soybean growers are already incorporating cover crops into their rotations in Mantioba and many others are looking for information on how they might incorporate them into their rotation. Dr. Yvonne Lawley at the University of Manitoba is frequently asked for sources of local information on the performance, benefits, and costs of shoulder season cover crops. At this time, that information is not available for Manitoba. There is a real need and opportunity to provide farmers and agronomists in Manitoba with information to guide decision making about cover crops in crop rotations that include both dry beans and soybeans in Manitoba. This proposal aims to address some of the most frequently asked questions about cover crop management and species selection and focuses on cover crop windows for dry bean and soybean crops in Manitoba. This project is designed to find synergies with other projects proposed to start at the University of Manitoba. This project will also engage with the MPSG On-Farm Research Network by working with farmers that are innovating on-farm to quantify cover crop performance and their short term benefits/impact to their soil and subsequent crops.
